Western appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1885-18??, 1887-08-20


What darkness of decay, what shroud OF snow
Would the rose ever blow?
If the wild lark could feel
When first between two worlds he caroled
clear,
Voicing the ecstasy Of either sphere,
What apathy Of song should DER him steal,
What broken accents and what faltering
Would the lark ever sing?
Alas, and yet alas,
For glory OF existence that shall passl
For pride of beauty and for strength of songl
Yet were the untried life deeper wrong.
Better single throb of being win,
Than never to have beeDl
KATE PUTNAM OsGooD in the Century.
LUCY STONES COUNSEL.
The advice to women to promote
their health by outdoor exercise is ney.
er wanting. But no amount of fresh
air exercise can save women from the
evil effects of their present style Of
dress. 1t is their clothes that kills
them.
Every step woman takes, her foot
contends with her skirt. She lifts it on
the instep, and she lifts it on the heel.
The weight may be ounces or pounds,
but it is taken up at every step. The
heavy skirts, with fiounces, overskirt,
hustle, braid, beads and other trimmings
hang their many pounds and many
yards Tapping around the feet and legs
of the wearer. The corset does dot al
low space to take a full breath, and the
tight sleeves cause the muscles to CIV
for room.
Dressed in this fashion, the wearer
comes back from her walk for "fresh
air and exercise" tired through and
through, and is the worse for it, be-
cause she has lifted and carried a
weight of many pounds.
Stand at any city street corner, and
watch the women as they pass. How
tired they look! How their dresses
flap around them! Contrast them with
the men. Mems feet lift no weight of
clothes. Mems steps contend with
nothing. Every muscle has it's natural
exercise. Outdoor air and exercise are
good for them.
The advice women need is for short
er, lighter and looser dresses. Mrs.
Jeness-Miller has not come day too
soon with her better costume it the
health of women is to be improved.
Mrs. Celia B. Whitehead has shown
'.what's the natter. Before her Mrs.
Amelia Bloomer, nearly forty years ago,
set the example of short loose dresses.
That style was adopted by many wo-
men, among them Mrs. Elizabeth Cady
Stanton, Miss Susan B. Anthony, and
the present writer. How light and
comfortable and neat ii was! How cas-
lily we went up stairs without stepping
on ourselves! How we came down stairs
without fear of being stepped on! A
walkon rainy day or in a muddy street
had no terror, for there were no yards
of draggled skirts to clean. We had
room to breathe, and freedom for our
feet. But this healthfal dress was
"despised and rejectcd' by the great
pnblic. On one occasion, Miss Antho-
ny, in company with me, started to
go to the post-otfice in New York, in
the Bloomer costume But we were
surrounded and wedged in by a crowd
which hooted and jeered. We escaped
only by a carriage sent by a friend who
saw our dilemma. 1t was so difficult to
wear this dress. with the odium that was
cast upon it, that we returned sorrow
fully to the bondage of our bodies for the
sake of freedom to live unmolested.
That was long ago. Now women might
accept the light, sensible dress which
Mrs. Jeness-Miller wears and COM
mends, without fear of unpleasant COM
ment. In it they may take fresh air
and exercise and gain in health.
LUCY STONE.
SCATTERED GRAIN AS MANURE.
Where farmers, as in this section,
mainly SOW wheat after the stubble of
Spring grains there need be no pains
taken to save the grain naturally scat
tered by harvesting. Barley thus lost
can scarcely be saved, as no kind of
stock, except poultry, will attack a
barley head and get much good from it
on account of the strong boards Scat
tered grain, however, lightly cultivated
Aioo oiO oO1l, ooou SCllLlutttS anu
makes a valuable green manure. 1t
does not need to grow large for this
purpose. The seed in terminating
generates heat and carbonic acid gas
which is solvent for the plant food in
the soil that it is in contact with. So
soon as it is killed it rots and thus acts
as q further solvent. A seed bed filed
with perhaps two bushels of scattered
grain has no mean manuring for an
equal amount of seed sown four or five
weeks later and allowed to grow.
NEXT YEARS STRAWBERRIES.
The earlier the strawberry patch is
set out the better will be the crop next
season if given good care. Perhaps the
best time to make beds is carly in the
Spring, but a farmer who has none of
this delicious fruit may plant now and
reap q fair crop next Spring, while next
Springs planting will require years
care before getting anything from it.
Do not take all plants from the beds.
Wait until the new runners are fairly
rooted and set them. While the pecu-
liarities of flavor and growth are fresh
on the mind it is easier for the planter
to select what he wants. Trust good
deal to the recommendation of the
grower. A fruit grower is a disinter-
ested adviser and is sure to know facts
about the adaptability of various kinds
toy your location that may, perhaps, out
weigh all other considerations.